Toxicity study of different isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae extracted from the soil of different orchards of East Azarbaijan on flour moth (Anagasta kuehniella)

Entomopathogenic fungi are the biocontrol agents which naturally keep the insect population in balance and can be used as microbial insecticides. In the present study, some isolates of entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from different soil samples and their virulence was investigated against flour moth, Anagasta kuehniella Zeller (Lep: Pyralidae). Five isolates M. anisopliae from Twenty isolates were isolated, using soil-baiting method from collected soil samples in different gardens East Azarbaijan were identified. The flour moth, A. kuehniella were infected using dipping method with isolates were performed at 5 concentrations, in 3 replications and with 12 of flour moth. The results showed that the instars of fourth larval instars of flour moth were susceptible to all isolates of M. anisopliae. The most virulent isolates were MTA with approximately 90% mortality on A. kuehniella. The most virulent isolates were MTA with 0.42×106 conidia/ml LC50 on A. kuehniella while the least virulent isolate were MTV 4.3×109 conidia/ml LC50 on A. kuehniella. Comparison of means and grouping of isolates showed that there was a significant difference between M. anisopliae isolates and the effectiveness of different concentrations.